Tiger Woods won’t play again until the British Open in mid-July, choosing to follow doctor’s orders and give his ailing left elbow a rest.

Woods announced Wednesday he has a strain in his left elbow. He experienced minor discomfort before last week’s US Open, then aggravated the area during the tournament. He was often seen shaking his left arm after hitting a shot out of the tall, thick rough, leaving people to speculate on what was bothering him (hand? wrist? elbow?).

When asked about it, Woods would only say that he was injured at the Players Championship last month.

“I was examined after I returned home from the US Open . . . and I have been advised to take a few weeks off, rest and undergo treatment,” Woods said in a statement posted on his website. “I’ll be ready for the British Open, and I’m looking forward to playing at Muirfield.”

Woods was scheduled to play in next week’s AT&T National at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., where he is the defending champion.

He still plans on attending the tournament — since it benefits his foundation, he serves as de facto host — but won’t be able to play.

This marks the sixth straight season in which Woods has been forced to miss a tournament because of an injury.

The first round of the British Open is July 18, giving Woods four weeks to get ready.

Local hopefuls

The PGA Professional National Championship starts Sunday at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort, with 17 players representing New England and hoping to play their way into this year’s PGA Championship. Locals competing in the 72-hole event (there is a cut after 36 holes to the low 70 and ties) are: Matt Arvanitis (Hooksett, N.H.), Paul Barnsley (Orange, Conn.), Bradford Colt (Waterbury, Conn.), Michael Dugas (Pittsfield, Maine), Frank Dully (Kernwood Country Club, Salem), Boomer Erick (Boston Golf Club, Hingham), Mark Farrell (Westport, Conn.), Ray Ford (Ridgefield, Conn.), Travis Hall (Ipswich Country Club), Kirk Hanefeld (Renaissance Golf Club, Haverhill), John Hickson (Topsham, Maine), Chip Johnson (Hatherly Country Club, Scituate), Ed Kirby (Wakefield, R.I.), Jeffrey Martin (Norton Country Club), Joe Mongillo (Southington, Conn.), Troy Pare (Seekonk), and Aaron Ungvarsky (Cohasset Golf Club). The Golf Channel will provide coverage for all four rounds (Sunday 7:30-9:30 p.m., Monday 3:30-6 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 4-7 p.m.), the purse is $550,000, and there are 20 exemptions available into the PGA Championship, which is usually where all the drama can be found . . . Erick got ready for the national tournament by shooting a 2-under-par 69 at the Golf Club of Cape Cod to edge Greg Yeomans (Bay Club at Mattapoisett) by one shot and win the New England PGA Stroke Play Series event.

Planning ahead

Tickets for next year’s US Open are already on sale. The 2014 US Open will be at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., June 12-15. The US Women’s Open will be at the same course the following week. Ticket orders for both, including an assortment of daily and weekly options, can be placed by visiting www.usopen.com or www.usga.org. Mail applications can be requested by calling 800-698-0661 . . . A lottery will be held for practice-round tickets for the 2014 Masters, and the deadline for applications is June 30. To enter, visit www.masters.com . . . Keegan Bradley and James Driscoll are PGA Tour regulars, but they’ll be joined this week by two other players in the Travelers Championship field with local ties. Jon Curran, who was a teammate of Bradley’s
at Hopkinton High School, has received a sponsor’s exemption. Fran Quinn, a Holden resident, shot 68 and was one of four players to get in through Monday qualifying. It will be the third straight year that Quinn has played in the Travelers . . . Remember that video clip we mentioned a few weeks back that featured Bubba Watson and his new hovercraft golf cart? The vehicle will be on display at the CVS Caremark Charity Classic, which is Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at Rhode Island Country Club. Fans can get an up-close look at the craft, and have pictures taken while sitting in the driver’s seat. Tickets for the tournament ($25 daily, $60 for a three-day pass beginning Sunday) are still available at www.cvscharityclassic.com or by calling 866-287-9441.

Becker leads Northeast Am

Rafael Becker of Brazil shot a sizzling 7-under-par 62 at Wannamoisett Country Club on Wednesday to take a four-shot lead after the first round of the 52d Northeast Amateur. In a field that also includes Max Homa (recent NCAA individual champion) and Michael Kim (low amateur at last week’s US Open), Jack Whelan had the best score among the players from Massachusetts. Whelan, from Topsfield, opened the tournament with a 1-under 68 . . . Nick Pandelena of Atkinson, N.H., secured the first of two qualifying spots for the US Amateur Public Links championship on Monday by posting a 36-hole medalist score of 75-71 at Plymouth Country Club. The final spot, plus two alternates, will be determined Sunday, when the playoff that had been suspended because of weather resumes. The three-man playoff includes Joseph Frew of Boston (74-77), Herbie Aikens of Kingston (73-78), and Dave McNally of Brooklyn, Conn. (74-77). Frew’s first round was highlighted by a hole-in-one on No. 8. The US Amateur Public Links will be July 15-20 at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Va. . . . The Oak Hill CC team of Susan Lemay and Joanne Catlin shot an 80 at the Winchendon School GC to win the gross portion of the Curtis Bowl, part of the Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts schedule. In the net competition, Ann Scott and Lynne Luongo of Meadow Brook GC shot 72 to win by two shots . . . Marsha Shaw of Walpole CC is the WGAM’s new Class D champion, winning by four strokes at Fall River CC. In the Class E championship, also at Fall River, Janet Bean of Walpole won by three strokes.

Etc.

Karolyne Shieh of Carlisle competed this week at the US Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in Norman, Okla., missing match play after rounds of 88-86 . . . Winners at the New England PGA Junior Tour event from the Country Club of New Bedford included Jim Brunone (boys 16-18), Stephen Vye (boys 14-15), Davis Kelliher (boys 12-12), Maxwell Clemens (boys 11 and under), Cora Bernier (girls 14-18), and Allison Paik (girls 13 and under) . . . There is less than a week left to get your applications in for the US Amateur, which will be Aug. 12-18 at The Country Club in Brookline. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. next Wednesday, and the only way to apply is online, at www.champs.usga.org. Players must have a handicap index of 2.4 or better, and there are five area qualifiers from July 15-30 . . . Those hoping to play in the US Women’s Amateur also must have their applications in by 5 p.m. next Wednesday. The index limit is 5.4, and Oak Hill CC will be the site of the only local qualifier on July 16. The US Women’s Amateur will be Aug. 5-11 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.) . . . The Country Club of Halifax will host a fund-raising tournament for the Folds of Honor Foundation Aug. 5. Entry for the scramble format is $125 per person, or $30 for the dinner-only option. Sponsorships are also available, and prize donations are being sought. For more information, call the club at 781-293-9061.